Nick Norelli – Movies and the Masses

Our special guest on Movies and the Masses this week is none other than Nick Norelli, the mastermind behind Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth. In case you’ve never visited this excellent site, it’s dedicated to a variety of topics including theology, music, biblical studies, movies, sports, and so much more. And when he’s not researching The Trinity, Christology or Patristics, Nick likes to watch such films as The Patriot, Taken, Die Hard, Primal Fear and True Romance. He’s also a fan of rap and hip-hop, mainly the stuff turned out between 1992 and 1998.

But enough jibber jabber…let’s get to the interview.

Only Good Movies: What’s the first movie you remember seeing?
Nick Norelli: I was only 1 when it came out, but I have a vague memory of Spielberg’s E.T. The Extra Terrestrial.

OGM: If you only had a few hours to live and could do nothing but watch five movies, which films would you select?
NN: I’d pick: (1) Braveheart, (2) Goodfellas, (3) Pulp Fiction, (4) Die Hard with a Vengeance, (5) Taken.

OGM: What’s your favorite movie?
NN: Definitely Mel Gibson’s Braveheart. It’s the movie by which I measure battle scenes in all other movies. No matter how many times I see it, I never get sick of it.

OGM: What’s your least favorite movie?
NN: Ooh, tough one. There’s just so many terrible movies. I think that Southland Tales starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Sean William Scott, and a host of other household names was probably the movie that I felt the stupidest for having sat through. Afterward, I just sat there and wished that I could have gotten that 2.5 hours back, but, unfortunately, I couldn’t. And what’s worse is that I remember some of the film!

OGM: Do you subscribe to an online rental service like Netflix or Blockbuster Online? Why or why not?
NN: No. No real reason to. I see a lot of movies in the theater, and I have all the good movie channels on cable, so renting isn’t really worth it for me.

OGM: In 50 years, which modern movies do you think will be viewed as classics?
NN: I don’t know, because the movies that are viewed as classics right now are generally movies I think are pretty boring (e.g., Gone with the Wind,Citizen Kane, et al.). If it were movies that I think should be seen as classics then I’d say Reservoir Dogs, Pulp Fiction, Gran Torino, Braveheart, The Dark Knight, In the Line of Fire, Primal Fear, Rounders, Goodwill Hunting, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery, any many, many more.

OGM: If you see a movie based on a book, are you then more or less likley to read the book?
NN: Neither. I don’t read the types of books that they make into movies. I tend to stick to academic books related to theology and biblical studies, and those generally don’t become movies.

OGM: Who’s your favorite celebrity?
NN: Can’t say that I have one, to be honest.

OGM: Is there any actor or actress whose movies you actively avoid?
NN: Not really, although I don’t rush out to see anything that Beyoncé Knowles is in. I usually end up seeing her stuff, but it’s only because it comes on TV late when there’s nothing better to watch (case in point, Obsessed, which I saw last month).

OGM: How do you feel about all the remakes of older and classic films?
NN: For some of the horror movies, I think they’re pretty good. For example, despite popular opinion, I think Rob Zombie’s version of Halloween was an improvement over John Carpenter’s. He gave the necessary background to make Michael Myers make sense. I thought the remake of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre with Jessica Biel was better than the original, as well. But then there are horrible remakes like Love Don’t Cost a Thing starring Nick Cannon and Christina Milian that ruin classic comedies like Can’t Buy Me Love starring Patrick Dempsey and Amanda Peterson. And to return to the horror genre, the “remake” of Friday the 13th was ridiculous. It’s was just another sequel in the series! I don’t know why they marketed it as a remake.

OGM: Which actor or actress do you find most attractive?
NN: Halle Berry and Charlize Theron are always easy on the eyes.

OGM: Do you read movie reviews? If so, which critics do you read most often, and why do you like them?
NN: I never used to, but a friend turned me onto Rotten Tomatoes. I’ll read their little movie blurbs. I’m not sure they qualify as reviews, though. I also read the reviews that a blogger named Loren Rossen does. He’s generally got some good insight into films that I’m interested in.

OGM: What type of people annoy you when going to a movie theater?
NN: People that talk during the movie.

OGM: Do you consider movies to be works of art?
NN: Sure.

OGM: What type of candy or drink do you consider essential to your movie watching experience?
NN: Pepsi is necessary in every movie, and I generally like popcorn as opposed to candy. But even without popcorn, I need my Pepsi.

That concludes this week’s edition of Movies and the Masses. Thanks so much to Nick Norelli for taking part, and be sure to visit his blog. If more interviews with the masses are what you crave, try checking out the following:

• Ravi Philemon – Singaporean journalist
• Scot Nery – Professional comic/contortionist/juggler
• Elsie Flannigan – Artist and maker of crafts

 

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• I’ve Been Interviewed: Movies and the Masses « Rightly Dividing the Word of Truth
• Only Good Movies Recap for 12/27/09

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